On Ballas Road in St. Louis, just south of Missouri Baptist Hospital and north of Clayton Road, Parkway United Church of Christ is known for a 10:00 a.m. Sunday gathering shaped by an open communion table, a long-running prayer bell tradition, an explicit welcome to all, and three guiding ideas: limitless love, courageous action, and spirited inquiry. Its story reaches back to 1838, yet the congregation remains focused on present questions: How can a community nurture faith, speak honestly about belief, and turn love into action? At Parkway UCC, those questions meet in worship, music, education, interfaith partnerships, and service.
The Bell That Still Calls a Congregation to Prayer
In November 1838, a small flock of German immigrant farmers, led by Rev. Louis Nollau, established the German Evangelical Church of Des Peres. For decades, the congregation served primarily German Americans, with worship and confirmation classes conducted in German. Sunday worship took place in homes or in other churches until members built their own church in 1871. The building on Ballas Road became the historic sanctuary.
An 687-pound bell was installed in 1885. It rang three times during the Lord's Prayer so farmers in the fields who could not attend could stop and pray with the congregation. That ritual still sounds every Sunday, linking worship in the present to the church's first generation and to the land around it. The tradition makes the sanctuary more than a room for music and preaching; its sound marks prayer as a shared act.
Across the twentieth century, the congregation expanded its buildings and reach. An educational building opened west of Ballas Road in 1963. In 1998, the congregation added a new sanctuary there and moved worship across from the older church. A Quimby pipe organ followed in 2001, and stained-glass windows were added in 2003. In 2003, Parkway also adopted its all-persons welcome commitment, and in 2008 it became an Open and Affirming congregation with an explicit welcome to LGBTQIA people.
Senior Pastor Kevin Cameron was called to Parkway in 2004 after serving two churches in New England and one in Kansas City. He is known as a listener who welcomes diverse opinions and frank questions. His leadership has included two decades of congregational self-examination, the adoption of the Open and Affirming identity, and partnerships with Jewish and Muslim neighbors. John Nourse arrived in 1985 and served as pastor for 19 years, leaving behind a strong legacy of members caring for one another and continued support for Habitat for Humanity.
Limitless Love, Courageous Action, and Spirited Inquiry
Parkway's congregational statement says that, with God's grace, it seeks to include all people regardless of race, ethnic background, or socioeconomic background, while respecting differences in gender, marital status, age, sexual orientation, and mental or physical ability. It invites everyone into worship, fellowship, ministry, leadership, sacraments, responsibilities, and the blessings of participation in an open and affirming congregation.
- Limitless Love extends care to all of God's children and grows through interfaith partnership and a widening welcome.
- Courageous Action follows Christ by advocating for people in pain or need, opposing injustice, and working toward a just world.
- Spirited Inquiry seeks spiritual nourishment through open-minded inquiry rather than prescribed doctrines, values questions and varied beliefs, and draws upon ancient scripture and contemporary wisdom.
These commitments are woven together. Parkway's formation ministries root learning in the life and teachings of Jesus and openness to the Spirit's leading rather than a single prescribed doctrine. Members are encouraged to build an individual relationship with God, discover spiritual gifts, form lifelong friendships, and follow Jesus. The congregation's continuing emphasis is that God is still speaking.
Open and Affirming is the United Church of Christ designation for congregations that make a public covenant to include people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions in the full life and ministry of the church. Parkway's welcome therefore addresses both participation in worship and shared responsibility for the life of the congregation.
Sunday at Ten with an Open Communion Table
Sunday worship begins at 10:00 a.m. and generally lasts about an hour. The service starts with music and announcements. A children's message comes early, after which young people may attend Sunday School or remain in worship with their parents. Holy Communion follows as part of the service, and the table is open to all who wish to know the presence of Christ through Holy Communion.
The service can be attended in person, streamed live on YouTube, or watched there afterward. Music helps begin worship, but the musical palette is broad: classical and traditional works, gospel, spirituals, folk, Taizé, chant, global music, contemporary pieces, and original arrangements. Musicians and choirs both take part in leading worship, creating a service that can comfort, energize, and draw people into a shared spiritual experience.
A First Sunday Around the Sanctuary
The entryway gathering space is designed to feel like a living room, giving people time to settle in before entering the sanctuary. A greeter at the door can answer questions, and worshipers can choose a comfortable seat anywhere in the room. Coffee and sweets are available in the gathering area just outside the sanctuary after the service.
There is no dress code. Attire ranges from casual to business attire, with comfort as the deciding factor. Parkway also has accessible restrooms and hearing-assistive devices for worship. Greeters, staff, and caregivers can assist people with particular needs so that children, adults, and families can participate in the congregation's life together.
Children and Youth Are Invited into the Whole Story
Parkway's children and youth ministry is grounded in the love of God and the inclusive way of Jesus. It seeks to nurture curiosity, compassion, courage, and questions in safe, affirming spaces where young people can explore faith and their own gifts. The church's age groups are God's Tots for infants through age 2, Lil' Chips for ages 3 through second grade, Golden Graders for third through fifth grade, and Loaded Taters for sixth through twelfth grade. Their formation moves from understanding God's love and kindness, to learning about the Bible and the church's UCC identity, to discerning faith, building friendships, and acting courageously for justice.
Christian Education and Youth and Children's Ministry Director Gabriel Requadt came to the UCC after growing up in Christian Science and studying at Eden Seminary. He works to build a spiritual foundation in which children and youth can explore the Bible, understand their place in the United Church of Christ, feel included in the church's mission, and grow in their connection with God, one another, and the wider world.
Care for children is concrete. Infant through age 3 nursery care is provided during worship, and at least two trained adults are in the room at all times. Before worship, care for infants and children through fifth grade runs from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. On Sundays when a speaker or another need calls for extended care, the same age range can be cared for from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Regular nursery staff maintain a familiar environment, and children may receive quiet activities if they stay with their parents during worship.
Sunday School classes for ages 3 through high school begin after the children's message. Children can move into those classes or continue in the sanctuary with their families. Parkway also celebrates baptism for people of all ages, including members and nonmembers. Older youth can take weekly confirmation classes, affirm earlier baptismal vows, ask questions, explore faith, and learn about other world religions as part of preparation for living peacefully among people of different faiths.
Classical, Gospel, Global, and New Music Fill the Sanctuary
Director of Music Aria Thomé brings extensive experience in liturgical music, sacred music education, ecumenism, and interfaith dialogue. Organist and Pianist Amy Freeman invites people who like to sing or play instruments to share their talents in worship. Their work supports Parkway's commitment to music that can bridge differences, broaden minds, and create moments of unity.
The Adult Sanctuary Choir, open to singers from high school onward, rehearses on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. during its September-through-June season and warms up at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday. No experience is required, and childcare is provided during both rehearsals. First Sunday Choir meets at 9:00 a.m. on the first Sunday of each month to learn one accessible piece for the 10:00 service; adults and children are welcome, and reading music is not required. On the third Sunday, a children's choir learns a short song during worship, while an intergenerational hand chime ensemble rings. These opportunities combine concentration and play with meaningful participation in the service.
Parkway maintains two pipe organs. The main sanctuary holds a two-manual Quimby instrument, while the 1918 Kilgen and Sons tracker organ stands in the historic sanctuary across the street. Several pianos, including a Boston Grand, support worship and concerts. The church also hosts the St. Louis Children's Choir and has expanded into dramatic presentations, giving the building a role in musical and performing arts beyond Sunday morning.
Learning and Membership That Leave Room for Questions
Adult education begins at 11:15 a.m. on Sunday, following the main service. The congregation also uses small groups and interest groups to continue learning and connect people around the shared practices of limitless love, courageous action, and spirited inquiry. Membership is described as a step toward a deeper relationship with God, a place to belong, and a way to form lifelong friendships, discover spiritual gifts, develop a personal prayer style, and follow Jesus.
Because the United Church of Christ leaves decision-making authority to individual congregations, members vote on matters such as the annual budget, church vision, building decisions, policies, and priorities. Parkway also emphasizes that no one dictates how another person develops a relationship with God. New members are welcomed into worship, work, and witness on Membership Sundays during the 10:00 service, either in person or virtually.
Volunteers serve as greeters, ushers, flower organizers, coffee preparers, audio and visual workers, Sunday School teachers, and nursery assistants. Additional roles include Scripture reader and treats provider. This is practical worship participation: people help prepare the room, welcome others, support children, and shape the Sunday rhythm together. Giving and pledging support discipleship, caring community, mission, justice, and a safe, accepting space for all.
Mission Rooted in a Long Habit of Neighbor Care
Community mission at Parkway is not a recent addition. Rev. Louis Nollau, the first pastor, founded the German Protestant Orphans Home. Now known as Every Child's Hope, that organization provides residential care and family support for children and teens throughout the St. Louis area. Outreach has continued through United Church of Christ denominational missions and a wide circle of local service organizations.
Parkway identifies members as leaders in Habitat for Humanity, Circle of Concern, and the Isaiah 58 food pantries, as well as the International Institute of St. Louis and Special Olympics. Members also participate in the St. Louis CROP hunger walk, connecting the congregation's concern for hunger to wider community work. The scope ranges from direct relationships formed across generations to organizations serving people in St. Louis and beyond.
The church's commitments are stated plainly: protect the environment, care for people who are poor, forgive often, reject racism, fight for people who are powerless, share earthly and spiritual resources, embrace diversity, love God, and enjoy life. Justice is not separate from love here. Following Christ is understood as taking action to support people in pain or need, oppose injustice, and work toward a just world for all.
Parkway's interfaith life is especially concrete. The congregation partners with Congregation Shaare Emeth and the Turkish American Society of Missouri, known as TASOM. These relationships include shared study, social gatherings, holiday celebrations, service projects, worship, and conversation about Jewish and Islamic traditions. Parkway says these partnerships deepen understanding and strengthen a common commitment to justice, peace, and compassion for people in need.
Two Sanctuaries, One Welcoming Congregation
The main sanctuary is a modern 4,100-square-foot worship space with stained-glass windows, a wooden truss ceiling, and an elevated chancel visible throughout the room. Fixed pews leave a broad center aisle and space along the sides. The room can hold up to 300 people, with 240 seats arranged so the sanctuary does not feel crowded; additional seating is available in the adjacent gathering space with a direct view and sound access. The Quimby pipe organ is a defining feature of this worship setting.
Across Ballas Road, the 1871 church building remains the historic sanctuary. Natural light enters through its stained glass, and the room includes a choir loft and a 1918 Kilgen and Sons tracker pipe organ. Its atmosphere is well suited to lectures, meetings, weddings, funerals, concerts, and unplugged music events. The old sanctuary and the newer sanctuary across the street are both part of one congregation's life.
The Fellowship Hall, also known as the Big Room or gymnasium, adjoins the kitchen, seats about 200, and includes basketball hoops. It can host meetings, dinners, receptions, and other gatherings. Parkway's wedding ministry reflects the same welcome found in congregational life. The church affirms marriage equality, welcomes all couples, and works with each couple to shape a ceremony honoring their traditions and needs. The pastor generally officiates, and the Fellowship Hall can be used for receptions.
Smaller gatherings can use the Heritage Room, which has a kitchenette, tables, chairs, sofas, and audio-visual equipment. Additional classrooms and a music and choir room serve meetings, classes, rehearsals, and events. The nursery is located near the main sanctuary, keeping the building's worship, formation, music, hospitality, and service spaces closely connected.
Together, these places and practices reveal Parkway UCC as it is: a congregation where the bell marks shared prayer, the Communion table makes room, questions are welcomed, and love is expected to become action. Its history is long, but its central task remains living an open and affirming faith through worship, learning, music, relationships, and service.